Error Checking for Chinese Query by Mining Web Log

For the search engine, error-input query is a common phenomenon. This paper uses web log as the training set for the query error checking. Through the n-gram language model that is trained by web log, the queries are analyzed and checked. Some features including query words and their number are introduced into the model. At the same time data smoothing algorithm is used to solve data sparseness problem. It will improve the overall accuracy of the n-gram model. The experimental results show that it is effective

A survey on sentiment analysis in Urdu: A resource-poor language

© 2020 Background/introduction: The dawn of the internet opened the doors to the easy and widespread sharing of information on subject matters such as products, services, events and political opinions. While the volume of studies conducted on sentiment analysis is rapidly expanding, these studies mostly address English language concerns. The primary goal of this study is to present state-of-art survey for identifying the progress and shortcomings saddling Urdu sentiment analysis and propose rectifications. Methods: We described the advancements made thus far in this area by categorising the studies along three dimensions, namely: text pre-processing lexical resources and sentiment classification. These pre-processing operations include word segmentation, text cleaning, spell checking and part-of-speech tagging. An evaluation of sophisticated lexical resources including corpuses and lexicons was carried out, and investigations were conducted on sentiment analysis constructs such as opinion words, modifiers, negations. Results and conclusions: Performance is reported for each of the reviewed study. Based on experimental results and proposals forwarded through this paper provides the groundwork for further studies on Urdu sentiment analysis

Graph Theory and Universal Grammar

Tese arquivada ao abrigo da Portaria nº 227/2017 de 25 de Julho-Registo de Grau EstrangeiroIn the last few years, Noam Chomsky (1994; 1995; 2000; 2001) has gone quite far in the direction of simplifying syntax, including eliminating X-bar theory and the levels of D-structure and S-structure entirely, as well as reducing movement rules to a combination of the more primitive operations of Copy and Merge. What remain in the Minimalist Program are the operations Merge and Agree and the levels of LF (Logical Form) and PF (Phonological form). My doctoral thesis attempts to offer an economical theory of syntactic structure from a graph-theoretic point of view (cf. Diestel, 2005), with special emphases on the elimination of category and projection labels and the Inclusiveness Condition (Chomsky 1994). The major influences for the development of such a theory have been Chris Collins’ (2002) seminal paper “Eliminating labels”, John Bowers (2001) unpublished manuscript “Syntactic Relations” and the Cartographic Paradigm (see Belletti, Cinque and Rizzi’s volumes on OUP for a starting point regarding this paradigm). A syntactic structure will be regarded here as a graph consisting of the set of lexical items, the set of relations among them and nothing more

Quantitative Legal Prediction--or--How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Preparing for the Data-Driven Future of the Legal Services Industry

Welcome to law\u27s information revolution-revolution already in progress

An investigation of the practices and perceptions of three regular elementary teachers regarding the integration of students with severe disabilities

Regular classrooms have been increasingly identified as the placement of choice for special-needs children, including those diagnosed to have severe disabilities. Undergirding this movement has been an increase in research unfavorable to segregated, homogeneous and favorable to integrated, heterogeneous instructional arrangements. The knowledge base regarding how to facilitate the regular-class integration of severely disabled students, however, is in its infancy. The purpose of this inquiry was to examine regular elementary teachers\u27 practices and perceptions concerning their instruction of students with severe disabilities who had been integrated into their classrooms. Participant observation, interviewing, and constant comparative methods were employed to render a holistic understanding of 3 elementary teachers\u27 strategies, support service usage, and views relative to their integrated education of severely disabled pupils. Instructional strategy examination areas included style, subject matter, purpose, and methods. The investigated teachers were found to have structured and inclusive styles. Identified elements of their structure involved use of routines and relatively fixed schedules. Inclusiveness was reflected in their supportive postures and flexible responses to students and curricula. Employment of meaningful, story-related, and attitude-expanding subject matter was common to the 3 instructors. Their identified purposes involved the facilitation of psychologically safe and peer-interactive environments wherein multilevel curricula were provided. Common elements supporting the latter entailed use of heterogeneously structured cooperative groups, related activities, and whole language instruction. Methodologically, these teachers employed individual behavior management techniques and peer buddies. Three identified categories of support service were provided on a direct (in-class) basis. Included were instruction in whole language, development of integrated students\u27 appropriate behavior, and facilitation of their peer support networks. One common perception was found. All instructors had positive views regarding their experiences as teachers in integrated classrooms. The data suggest that integrated instructional arrangements may be enhanced by structures affording predictability and facilitating peer interaction and collaboration. Classroom climates that promote acceptance of human diversity and all students\u27 positive self-concepts are also indicated. Employment of a wide range of academic-behavioral approaches, including whole language instruction, appears important. Support service provision may encompass development of integrated students\u27 academic-behavioral skills and peer understanding of their needs and goals

On using intelligent computer-assisted language learning in real-life foreign language teaching and learning

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Technology and L2 writing: EFL student perspectives on electronic feedback using online learning logs

The use of instructional technology has opened up new avenues in education with broad implications in the foreign or additional language (L2) learning context. One of the research priorities is to explore student perceptions of the use of such modern means in their education which otherwise might not be anticipated. The present study aimed to determine (a) the perceived affordances as well as limitations of the information and communication technology (ICT) pedagogical application in coded corrective feedback (e-feedback) provision on L2 writing, (b) English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ perspectives on using e-feedback to reduce their local and global mistakes, and (c) the type of self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviours, according to EFL students’ self-reports, electronic feedback and learning logs called forth in cognitive, affective, and metacognitive domains. The participants (n=48) were high-intermediate to advanced EFL learners from four cohorts enrolled on an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) preparation course in a branch of the Institute of Science and Technology in Tehran. Each cohort went through 84 face-to-face tutorial sessions in four months. During this period, they also wrote essays and received e-feedback on 12 IELTS Writing Task 2 prompts with a minimum of drafting work three times for each on an e-learning platform (www.ekbatani.ir) specially designed for this study. The data from all four cohorts were collected over the course of 11 months, using semi-structured interviews, online structured and unstructured learning logs, and an open-ended questionnaire to provide an in-depth picture of student perceptions of this technology mediation. Through a purely qualitative research design, the log, interview, and open-ended questionnaire data were analysed, categorised and coded. The findings represented students’ perceptions of the benefits of the e-feedback and learning logs as (i) offering a motivating and empowering means of providing EFL writing support, (ii) enhancing the thinking and problem-solving processes, (iii) a flexible and fast scaffolding approach for L2 writing improvement, and (iv) encouraging student writers’ active knowledge construction by helping them notice mistakes, focus on writing specifics, overcome the fear of writing, and grow confidence in L2 learning. The self-reported data indicated perceived limitations including (i) the time-consuming nature of the e-feedback processes, (ii) the occasional need for face-to-face discussions, peer feedback addition, providing supplements to e-feedback such as on-demand e-tutorials, and (iii) increased workload for the teacher in proportion to the number of students. Specific writing improvement was perceived to be locally in the use of punctuation signs and grammar, in spelling skills and the scope of vocabulary; and globally in organising ideas, finding ideas in the form of blueprints, and developing ideas into full-length essays. The student perceptions demonstrated that the learner-centred e-feedback environment created different affordances for students’ cognitive, affective, and metacognitive behaviours: (i) cognitively, it assisted the use and development of various learning strategies, enhanced student EFL writing experience, and increased awareness of error patterns in their essays; (ii) affectively, it supported students’ motivational processes, ability to appraise their progress, restore, and sustain positivity, and greater perceived self-efficacy beliefs in their own L2 writing skills; finally, (iii) metacognitive affordances included the ability to rethink and amend their plans as well as seek out support, ability to reflect on the writing processes holistically, ability to self-monitor to remain on course, and ability to devise and implement a plan of action mostly by finding a strategy to deal with mistakes and by taking greater caution in writing their future drafts. Despite arising from a particular contextual framework with the experience of particular cohorts of students, the findings can hopefully be of value to researchers and practitioners in the fields of online language pedagogy, second language acquisition (SLA), EFL writing, and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) with communication uses. The findings can assist language courseware designers, e-feedback platform developers, and L2 writing course administrators to support and enhance their practices and decisions, especially in providing and implementing ICT and SRL initiatives in EFL writing